


A Professional Engagement

by amtrak12



Series: Yatesbert Week 2017 [2]
Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: Engagement, F/F, Yatesbert Week, prompt: professional conference
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 06:44:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11800599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amtrak12/pseuds/amtrak12
Summary: Erin and Abby can't agree on how to refer to their relationship now that they are dating.





	A Professional Engagement

**Author's Note:**

> For Yatesbert Week Day 2. Prompt: professional conference

The stage lights flooded the front of the auditorium and illuminated the lone podium standing center stage. The projector screen displayed the title slide "The Spectral and the Spatial: How High Energy Physics Proves the Existence of Ghosts". Murmurs rose up from the people settling into their seats. Even from backstage, it was clear the place was packed.

Erin couldn't believe they were here. This physics conference hosted by Cornell University may not have been the largest physics conference in the world or the most well known, but it was still a legitimate gathering of scientists and academics. It was also the first time Erin and Abby had been invited to present at such a conference. It was a huge honor to be invited. Validation flooded her veins at this sign that even people from outside the city were taking their work seriously.

There may have been a bit vindication mixed in there as well. Cornell was a common trip for Columbia's researchers. The high possibility that Dr. Filmore and the rest of her former colleagues would be in the audience made this pending presentation all the more satisfying.

"You'll walk onto the stage after I introduce you both," Dr. Easton from Cornell was explaining to Abby.

"And you'll mention that _A Glimpse of the Unknown_ is due out next week, right?" Abby cut in.

"Yes, of course," Dr. Easton said. "I have a whole bio prepared with your backgrounds and work with the Ghostbusters -- and yes, it mentions both of your books."

"Smart thinking," Erin said over her shoulder. Plugging their books could help the sales grow nationally. She refocused on the auditorium and arched her neck to see around the curtain. Even squinting against the lights, she couldn't tell if the back rows were filled yet.

"So I will go through the introductions," Dr. Easton continued. "I will say 'Please welcome partners Dr. Abigail Yates and Dr. Erin Gilbert' which is when you--"

"Wait, partners?" Erin finally turned around. "I thought we were being introduced as a couple."

She and Abby had only been dating two months, but they had already edited their author blurbs in _A Glimpse of the Unknown_ to reflect the new status of their relationship. They'd even edited key excerpts from the book with things like 'Professional Ghostbusting Tip: trips to the other side may net you a new girlfriend.' Transparency was key so the rest of the scientific community could verify a person’s work, and both Erin and Abby had agreed that the nature of their relationship was relevant enough to be part of that transparency. The suggestion that Abby had changed her mind about that hurt.

"We are," Abby explained. "Hence the word partners."

Now, Erin was just confused. "But partners doesn't mean romantic."

"Yes, it does. It's a very common word for significant others," Abby said.

"But partners just means research partners, and we've already been research partners. We need to use a different word."

"Like what?"

Dr. Easton interrupted. "I could add the word romantic to make it clear which type of partners you mean."

"No," they both said at once.

"That's too wordy," Abby added.

Dr. Easton stared. "The full title of your book is over twenty words long."

Erin pointed at him. "All of those words are necessary." To Abby, she asked, "What was wrong with the word girlfriends?"

"Uh, I don't know," Abby said. "Let's ask straight women what's wrong with that term -- oh wait, they are."

"But we _are_ girlfriends."

"That's not what they'll hear." Abby pointed towards the auditorium. "They'll only hear a suburb mom talking about her bestie."

Erin rolled her eyes. "Okay, it's a room full of highly educated physicists and engineers. I think they can deduce which definition of girlfriends we mean."

"You say that, but these are the same people who claimed ghosts didn't exist. Partners is a more professional word anyway," Abby argued.

"Yes, because it means research partners."

Dr. Easton interrupted again. "Why don't we drop the reference to your relationship and just focus on your work?"

"No!"

A thought crossed Erin's mind. "What if we were married?"

"Well, sure. If we were married, we would just use wives," Abby said.

"Yes, exactly," Erin said. "So let's do that. Let's be married."

Abby frowned. "You want to pretend to be married for thi-- oh. Wait, hold on. Are you...?"

"Yeah." Erin nodded. The growing wave of giddiness in her chest blossomed into a grin.

"Oh, boy," Abby said on an exhale. She stayed silent for so long Erin's grin began to fade.

"Abby?"

"Yeah, okay," Abby finally said.

Erin froze. "Yes, you said yes?"

"Yeah," Abby answered with a shaky smile. Disbelief still hung in her eyes but it was overshadowed by the shimmer of tears.

"Oh my gosh." Erin's grin returned to full blast, and she reached forward to grasp Abby's hands. "We're getting married!"

"Yeah, we are. Oh -- gingersnaps." Abby squeezed her hands. "We're not actually married yet, so what are we going to use, fiancee?"

Erin considered it. Then, she shook her head. "Let's just stick with wives. What are they going to do, ask us for a marriage certificate to prove it?"

"Probably not during our presentation," Abby said, smiling again.

Dr. Easton (whom Erin had completely forgotten about) cleared his throat. "Okay, now that that's settled, are you ready to be introduced?"

Erin and Abby confirmed they were, and Dr. Easton walked out onto the stage. His introduction was good, though maybe not as enthusiastic as they would like (the man really needed to include more drama when reciting the titles of their books). Still, it didn't shy away from how they were about to present paranormal findings at a serious physics conference. Erin was on cloud nine as she stood offstage clutching Abby's hand.

"I can't believe we're doing this."

"Which part?" Abby said.

Erin bit her lip against the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. Which part: a good question. They had the Ghostbusters and government funding, they were still clearing the city of ghosts, they were being invited to speak at physics and paranormal conferences alike, _they were engaged to be married now_ \--

"All of it," she said, turning to look at Abby. _Forever and ever and ever._

"And now," Dr. Easton said from the stage, "it is my pleasure to introduce long-time research partners and soon-to-be wives Dr. Abigail L. Yates and Dr. Erin Gilbert."

"Well," Abby said, "he still got the 'wives' in there."

Erin waved her hand in dismissal. "It works."

With one last grin at each other, they took their cue and walked out to meet the audience's applause.


End file.
